A spokesperson for the Dalai Lama has restated the Tibetan exiled spiritual leader's long-standing desire for an autonomous status for Tibet -- and not independence -- ahead of next month's talks with China.

She told VOA Monday, "Each round of talks has shown us that the Chinese side still does not
have any good faith in resolving the Tibet issue, but instead is still
playing a kind of public relations move, declaring its dominant stance.
So, under these circumstances, as far as Tibetans are concerned, each
round of talks has been a failure, which makes them feel frustrated.
The protest movement that erupted across all Tibetan areas in March of
this year, was actually related to the repeated failure of the talks."

On Saturday, China strongly rejected an appeal by U.S. lawmakers for Chinese officials and representatives of the Dalai Lama to open substantive negotiations. China's Foreign Ministry accused the United States of interfering in its internal affairs and of support for Tibetan separatists.

The U.S. Senate resolution passed last week said talks proposed for October should address Tibetans' legitimate grievances and not just the status of the Dalai Lama.

Representatives of the exiled spiritual leader and the Chinese government are scheduled to meet in October as part of a series of talks that began six years ago.

But the Tibetan government-in-exile says it has not had any communication with Chinese officials since their last round of talks in July.